Nonpharmacological therapeutic techniques to decrease agitation in geriatric psychiatric patients with dementia.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Psychiatry
• Dementia Care
• Behavioral Interventions

Background:

• Agitation is a common and distressing symptom in dementia patients, impacting both patients and caregivers.
• Medication for agitation carries risks and side effects, necessitating exploration of alternative treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory room intervention for reducing agitation in geriatric psychiatric inpatients with mild to moderate dementia.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement pilot project involving 13 inpatients with dementia.
• Thirty-two visits were conducted to a specially designed multisensory room.
• Agitation was measured using the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (PAS) before, immediately after, and one hour after the intervention.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant decrease in total Pittsburgh Agitation Scale scores was observed post-intervention.
• Significant reductions were noted in aberrant vocalizations, motor agitation, and resistance to care subscales.
• The aggression subscale of the PAS did not show significant changes.

Conclusions:

• The multisensory room intervention effectively decreased specific symptoms of agitation in geriatric psychiatric patients.
• This approach shows potential for improving patient, family, and nursing outcomes in dementia care.
• Multisensory environments represent a viable non-pharmacological strategy for managing agitation in dementia.